Web services should be introduced as part of a business
architecture, not a technology architecture, if organisations are
to gain maximum benefit, Kevin Poulter, application technology
manager at British American Tobacco, told last week's Corporate IT
Forum (Tif) conference.
"The true benefits of a global service oriented architecture
[SOA] only begin to emerge when we shift focus from technology
architecture to business architecture," he said.
Over the past two years British American Tobacco has revamped
its approach to integration and application development by adopting
an SOA based on web services.
The company uses tools from four suppliers. Its SOA
infrastructure employs tools from Blue Titan. Application
integration is based on SAP products and an application router from
US supplier Cast Iron. The SOA development platform is based on
Skyway Software and SAP Web Applications Server.
Poulter told delegates at the Tif conference that the successful
implementation of an SOA required the development and maintenance
of a clear architectural vision.
With IT departments grappling with constant change, it was
essential for ITdirectors to have their own frame of reference, he
said.
Businesses should not assume they can build their SOA just by
evolving the technology they already have, Poulter warned. They
have to make their SOA mission-critical to the business as early as
possible, while being prepared to move forward incrementally, he
said.
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